Report: E-Cigarettes ‘Far From’ Harmless, May Contain Carcinogens

A protester smokes an E-cigarette during a demonstration called by the national association for electronic smoking, Anafe, in front of the parliament to protest a 58,5% tax on the e-cigarette being studied by the government on July 9, 2013 in Rome. AFP PHOTO / ALBERTO PIZZOLI (Photo credit should read ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images)File photo of a person smoking an e-cigarette. (Photo by ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images)

ATLANTA (CBS Atlanta) – A recently released report indicates that e-cigarettes, previously thought to be a healthier alternative to the tobacco-based product they emulate, may in fact be carcinogenic.

According to France 24, the magazine “60 Million consumers” reported on the study, which was performed by a national consumers’ institute in France.

“Electronic cigarettes are far from the harmless gadgets they’re sold as by manufacturers,” the magazine was quoted as saying.

For the study, a reported 10 different types of e-cigarettes were observed, both reusable and disposable. The varying levels of “carcinogenic molecules” in each product’s vapor was documented and found to be in “significant quantity” in all of the tested types.

“In three models out of ten, the levels of [carcinogenic compound] formaldehyde come close to those of a conventional cigarette,” the magazine’s chief editor, Thomas Laurenceau, was quoted as saying by France 24. “[Also, a toxic molecule called acrolein was found in the vapor] sometimes at levels even higher than in traditional cigarettes.”

He added that the findings of the study are “not a reason to ban them, but to better control them.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta list cardiovascular and respiratory diseases as adverse effects of smoking on its official website, in addition to cancer.